Life in a Box
by Trevor X
Summary: Drabble/Oneshots inspired by Fire Emblem. "Something was bothering him, that much was certain."
1. Dreamer: Florina

**Dreamer**

_"It had always been her dream to be one of the famed Pegasus Knights of Ilia."_

---

She remembered toddling out into the yard, tears streaming down her cheeks and blood dripping from the fresh scrape on her knee. She was trying to be quiet, not wishing to be teased by Farina for falling down the front steps. "Baby!" She'd say, and Florina was most certainly not a baby anymore. She was four years old, only a few days shy of her fifth birthday. No, most certainly not a baby.

Walking didn't seem to be helping; she wasn't as strong as either of her sisters, both of whom would have been able to ignore the constant throb that emanated from the injured appendage. So after making sure that she was hidden from sight behind a bush, Florina sat and began to blow carefully on the scrape. Fiora always did that when she was hurt, and it seemed to make things get better faster.

It was as she sat there with puckered lips, puffing tiny breaths of air at her knee that it caught her attention. A flash of wings, bright with the rays of the sun passed overhead and tore both the child's eyes and mind away from her injury. At first she thought it was an angel, and her eyes went wide.

She was still standing there when Farina found her later, bloody knee and all squinting up at the sky. The older girl stared with astonishment at the picture, until Florina pointed at the sky with a tiny finger. "Angels."

Farina looked where her sister pointed and laughed. "Not angels. Those are Pegasuses! Horses with wings!"

When Florina stood blinking uncomprehendingly, Farina grasped her arm and dragged her back inside, moving almost faster than her younger sister could keep up. The older child stopped suddenly in front of the meager collection of books that their family owned and pulled out a ragged volume. Hurriedly she flipped through the pages, heedless of the tiny bends and tears that she made while doing so.

"Here! See?"

She set the book down on the floor where they could both view it more easily. Florina stared wide eyed at the artwork, ignoring the words. Upon half the page, a glorious white horse with beautiful wings seemed to rise up into the sky, carrying a small woman upon its back. Farina wriggled beside her giddily. "When I grow up, I'm going to be a Pegasus Knight like that woman. I'll make bunches of money and we'll be rich!"

Florina turned solemnly towards her sibling. "I want to be a Pegasus Knight too."

She couldn't articulate it then, but all she really wanted was to fly on the back of those glowing wings.

---

**AN:** _I blame Kitten Kisses. She goes and writes things that give me all sorts of questions, so I go start to play Fire Emblem again. And what would you know? Bam! Plots for drabble. So yeah, I blame her. I did enjoy writing this however, so don't think the blame is anything but good in this case. _^-^

As per usual, any mistakes are my own. I own not Fire Emblem. R&R people!


	2. In Fidelitas: Louise

_**In Fidelitas **_

_Warnings: Pent/Louise, Louise/Erk. Musings, infidelity... etc. Rating - T?_

**X+X+X**

She lay awake in the moonlight. The youth beside her slept on, unaware of her contemplations and the slender hand that ran in gentle caress through his dark locks.

Louise hadn't exactly meant for this to happen.

She didn't think that any of them had expected this turnout, although with further consideration... Perhaps Pent had foreseen this situation; he had brought in an apprentice, someone for her to care for and nurture and love. Not to this degree certainly, but...

Perhaps he had foreseen himself becoming distant in the future of their relationship. Lord Pent had always been intrinsically fascinated with the workings of strange magic. Perhaps one had allowed him to fathom the depths of time as well. His aspiration had been to become like Lord Athos after all, needing only his studies to sustain him.

After all, what were food and sleep to the accomplished mage? And what was love?

For one who might live on for aeons it might be a momentary reprieve in the bonds of reality.

Louise sighed. She did not doubt that Pent loved her, in his own way. It was only that he had become quite distant and withdrawn, foregoing food and drink, house and wife with alarming frequency. In the beginning, she had been worried. Acceptance had come with time, as had a blossoming devotion from the student who was left behind in her care.

_Hazy mist or warmth of fire?_

In the end she had chosen to take the one who was nearest and supported her daily, as opposed to the individual who merely reappeared upon occasion in his family's life.

Perhaps that choice would brand her as unfaithful in the eyes of others. She did not care to dwell on it for long; she had need of someone to care for her and her daughter on a daily basis, not when a convenient break in one's research prompted a moment of clarity to the world.

_Knowing that he cared for his family, Louise could not feel as though Pent would disapprove._

The moonlight shone unabated by the clouds as Louise finally closed her eyes. Her life was here and now, not in whatever might have been...

_Where ever you might be, I wish you well, Milord Pent..._

**X+X+X**

**AN:** _Yeah... um, weirdness that wouldn't leave me alone. Started writing as a drabble, it got way too long for drabble... rewrote as this drabble. Unsure whether this sucks or not... Ah well, tis drabble. Not a situation that I'd be wanting to cast any judgments on, personally. Can't say I approve of infidelity, but this is kind of a 'what-if' situation, so don't read more into it than is written. If you please._

_Also, this wasn't meant to be the next drabble in 'Life in a Box' - but the others are somewhat stalled half-way. Hopefully I'll get them out in time._


	3. Lost: Wallace

**Lost**

_Lost: 2. unable to find the way to a place _

-----

"This can't be right."

A gynormous frown crossed the knight's face as he frowned at the snow capped peaks in front of him. He surveyed the lowly track that he had followed for days, seeing no one in either direction. "Hmph. I could have sworn Caelin was further away from hills that size."

Bald pate shining in the sun that peeked fitfully through the clouds, Wallace pondered his next move. He could see no other recourse than to move forward. The heavy metal plate that he wore clanked dully as he tackled to the first of the foothills.

"Hm... guess I should have brought the lads along with me on my quest to deal with those bandit scum. They may not amount to much without a horse, but they made excellent scouts." Wallace looked down on the foothills from his precarious perch on the side of the mountain. He'd managed to find a footpath of sorts which allowed him better travel, but it obviously wasn't made for the likes of a man in heavy armor to traverse. Undaunted by such trivial concerns that might hinder a lesser man, Wallace had persevered.

Forging onward steadily, his figure became lost in the gentle swirls of snow that began to fall.

_He was found a week later by one of the farming families, half frozen on the outskirts of their nearly barren fields. After partaking of their hospitality, Wallace decided to help them out to repay them for their kindness. In the interim, his lust for battle cooled, replaced by his devotion to tilling the soil. Eventually the retired knight purchased his own plot of land beside the kind souls who had saved him from a frozen destiny._

_And that is how we find him plowing fields in Ilia._

-----

**AN:** _Wallace _- underused _and _underappreciated. I wanted this to be so much more; alas, my muse wasn't cooperating. I hope I've managed to capture at least a portion of his character here. ^^


	4. Rivalry: Lyndis, Fiora

_**Rivalry**_

_1. condition of competitiveness: the condition or fact of competing with somebody or something _

-----

Lyndis started the confrontation. She marched into Fiora's tent and sat down on the floor opposite the startled woman. Without exchanging pleasantries or letting a word of protest emerge, Lyn locked eyes with her opponent. _"Stay away from Kent."_

Unspoken, the challenge. _He's mine._

Caught off guard, Fiora's first thought was to protest that she wasn't even interested... until that thought died under careful examination of her feelings. She opened her mouth and closed it again. Lyndis sat watching, waiting for her response. Finally Fiora looked up.

"He is..." She began to speak slowly, enunciating carefully as she observed the younger woman's face. "A highly desirable man. I am afraid that I cannot back down from pursuing him, _not even for you_." Her voice trailed off at the last portion of her sentence - almost a whisper.

Something sparked behind Lyn's eyes. _"I see."_ A guarded smile spead across her features. _"Then we shall duel as we must. Mother watch over us and may the best woman win."_

-----

**AN:** _Lyn and Fiora, friendship/rivalry. I'd love to see something along these lines written by a more talented author. It has potentials... LOTS of potentials. I just don't think I'd do it justice. Should stop putting down AN for author note and start putting DB for drabble babble. Because sadly, I __am__ babbling._


	5. Unknown Attraction: Hector, ?

**Unknown Attraction**

_Poofy. Hector/...?, Hector rambling. Insinuate what ye will..._

**x-X-X-x**

_Hector doesn't understand what she sees in him._

He is - _as Lyn keeps so annoyingly pointing out _- a great, uncultured brute. He always retorts to that statement by calling Lyn an uncivilized, barbarian wench. The ensuing fights are always legendary and not necessarily the point of his current thoughts. He's fantasized about someday overpowering the proud foreigner and _owning her until she admits his greatness._ It's a passing fancy however, and one that is way too dangerous to contemplate putting into practice.

Lyn would never submit to something like that, and there are too many others who would kill him if he attempted it. Matthew and Oswin would never be able to hold them all off. So that must remain a fantasy safely tucked away in his mind, along with his plans to murder Eliwood's male heirs...

But this isn't about Lyndis; it's about _**her**_- because she's the one who just snuck into his tent again, despite the entire camp sleeping around them.

He wonders why she finds him so fascinating. She's never said and he's never asked. In the rare moments that he contemplates their relationship, he thinks that she probably should have picked Eliwood. His friend is the epitome of the lordlings of Lycia, all grace, comportment and chivalry. In fact, had anyone asked him months ago to bet on who would be wooing her now, he would have laid good money on his friend. Fortunately for Hector, Eliwood seems to be keeping other company these days...

He's jolted out of his musings by the rustling of discarded clothing and then she's in his arms. Neither speaks aloud; their lips meet and suddenly their bodies are communicating all of the overwhelming passion that they hide for each other during the daylight hours. Words are unnecessary here.

_They speak together for hours._

It's still dark when she finally leaves him. She always ensures that it is so, protecting his reputation from all but his own retainers. There is always a final kiss before her body silhouettes against the doorway of the tent, one last gift to tide him over until the next night.

He always wonders what it would be like to find her still by his side in the morning. When this war with Nergal comes to a close, he thinks that he'll ask her to stay with him.

She might refuse, of course. She's been on the road for so long with her brother that it might be second nature for her to be always traveling on. But perhaps she can make an exception for one loud and brash lordling.

_And maybe then he'll be able to find out just what it is that Ninian thinks about him._

**x-X-X-x**

**AN:** _Hector/Ninian. Plausible? Let me know or write it yourself._

_[Hector is paired with Florina, who seems to be more of a shy/quiet type... I figured, why not Ninian? Okay, other than the fact that she's totally hung up on Eliwood. But I'll probably drabble that pairing later on. I already have a title for it too - 'Fatal Attraction'.]_

_Anyway, expect to see some odd/off-the-wall pairings. If I don't think that something could logically work out, I won't write it, but if there's a possibility... Just be prepared for odd ideas every once in a while._


	6. Broken Destiny: Hector, Armads

**Broken Destiny**

_Hector. Armads. Hate your weapon much?_

**x-X-x**

_He was Hector of Ostia; He'd be damned if he let a magic weapon get the best of him._

Hector stared at the weapon displayed ornamentally on his wall. From its grandiose resting place, he liked to imagine that Armads stared back at him, taunting him with its legacy.

He'd watched the misery that had befallen his best friend as a result of being controlled by a magic weapon. Durandal, weapon of heroes; a sword that hungered for the blood of dragons. Eliwood had been so certain of the rightness of his blow when he had leapt forth and slain the dragon, only to find moments later that he'd killed his lover without a second thought.

Hector couldn't fathom how his friend had managed to wield the sword after that. Even after Athos brought Ninian back, one look at that pale face must have torn new furrows in Eliwood's heart. Gods alone knew that the heir to Pharae didn't need that kind of trauma, not with his gentle personality.

But whatever it was that gave his friend the mental stamina to go on and destroy Nergal and his summoned dragons, Hector knew that it had been only a temporary boost from the anguish; Eliwood would castrate himself later with self-recriminations. It was inevitably Eliwood. He could only hope that Ninian could drag the poor fool out of them before he became a useless sap.

Yes, he was grateful that the woman had decided to stay with his overly emotional friend. While it lent a certain storybook quality to their romance, Hector could privately admit to actually having enjoyed storybooks, once upon a time. Even if he would grumble and gripe about listening to such tomfoolery nowadays.

And yes, he had known that taking up the blasted axe would take away any semblance of peace from his death. Athos (blasted fool of a mage) hadn't seen fit to give them ordinary magic weapons to use on the beast. No, they had to wield what had worked before, cursed destinies and all.

Only Lyn got out of that deal. She received a second sacred sword, but continued to use the one she'd had before. Privately, she'd admitted that the new weapon didn't feel quite right to her and Hector had to agree on that point. Armads seemed unbalanced, for lack of a better term.

But they'd needed that power to face Nergal, so he'd taken it in hand and determined to wield it as best he could.

Of course, now that they'd finished off that old villain and returned home, he'd had no more need of a powerful magic artifact. Which is why Armads had to silently hang on the wall, taunting him silently with its hold over his destiny.

Hector snorted in disgust and turned away, his hand dropping to rest on the familiar weapon strapped by his side. _Wolf Beil_ would probably never be famous in the way that Armads was, but it had served him well and never demanded anything more than to be wielded by his hand. He knew eventually that Armads would rule his destiny, but he had a plan for that. Until such a day came as demanded his _death_, he'd leave the weapon hanging impotent on the wall.

_And when that day finally did come..._

Well... he was Hector of Ostia. He'd be damned before losing to a magic weapon - if he was to go down, Armads would be going with him. The only way that he'd stop swinging that axe would be when the damned thing broke.

And then he'd switch to _Wolf Beil_ till he broke.

_Armads would just have to settle for a draw._

**x-X-x**

**AN:**_ Hector - not my favorite character, but I'm finding a certain fondness for him as I keep ending up writing him. Still, don't expect me to suddenly gush on about how he's my favorite character or anything. The moral of this story is 'beware magic weapons; for just as you use them, they may use you.'_

_Finished this with a massive headache. Hope you all enjoy._


	7. Beyond the Dark: Tactician

**"Beyond the Dark..."**

_AU, Tactician-centric. Selfish-selfless plot. Rated T._

**x+X+x**

**Summary: **Nils would seal the portal and guard against the return of dragons to Elibe. However, the nations would not stand idly by while one with talent could be gained to aid them in their various designs. He could foresee only war if he stayed... And so he stepped through the portal before anyone could notice his absence and seek to stop him. This step could kill him, but at least he would give them a few years of peace...

**x-X-X-x**

_It had finally ended; the pain and torment and struggling had finally given way to victory. Granted, there wasn't much in the way of fanfare - none of the companions had the strength yet to celebrate - but they had won! That was something to be grateful for, at the very least._

_Teran stood off to the side, watching as the weary soldiers milled around their leaders. Hector and Eliwood stood conversing quietly, the young lord of Pharae standing with his arms wrapped around the dancer, Ninian. If camp gossip held true, the young lord would be taking the young woman back with him to his own lands. Given the way that she seemed to cling to Eliwood's side, Teran decided that the rumors would probably be proven true at this point._

_Lyndis and her own retinue stood a small ways off from the other lords, while the young heiress took stock of their injuries. Kent was stoicly trying to stand and assist her, but was being held down by his boon companion. Apparently Sain felt that the loss of an arm was sufficient excuse for the crimson haired knight to rest from his duties. Lyndis seemed to agree with the sentiment; Kent frowned but returned to his seat without needing an anchor to keep him tied down._

_Not quite inside the circle of Lyndis' followers, the three pegasus sisters held a loose embrace; both Farina and Florina fussing over their older sibling, who sat quietly and endured it with admirable patience. Fiora had been blinded by the touch of dragon fire to her face and though saved through the efforts of both Serra and Priscilla would never be able to ride as a mercenary again. She would have to rely on the same sisters that she'd grown up protecting._

_All in all, it seemed that the battle was well and truly over. Teran relaxed, closing his eyes and taking a single deep breath._

_The vision struck suddenly; images assaulted the young man's mind - images of war and blood, fire and depravity. Members of the company figured predominantly, each striving to protect what they held dear before the storm of a second war. In the vision, they all died._

_The end of the vision left Teran trembling on hands and knees. The worst part of all that he had seen was that he was the critical component in each of his friends' deaths. His stomache turned and he vomitted over the stone floor. When his heaving finally subsided, he tried to comport his thoughts on the matter. Crawling shakily away from the remains of his breakfast, he took shelter by the side of one of the pillars._

_He did not doubt the visions - his mother had both the gift and enough control to use it to earn a living telling fortunes - while both Ninian and Nils seemed to possess a similar talent that they had used to aid the company at various points in time. No one seemed to be looking his way despite the rather blatant display that he'd just put on. Teran closed his eyes again and struggled to compose himself._

_He was the key to the next war. His friends would suffer if he did not do something to prevent it - that much was clear. But what could he do? He could not always avoid the agents of the powerful countries and he would not make any of his companions into a target by taking refuge with them._

_Opening his eyes, he noted that Nils had closed with the lords and was now speaking with his sister._

_Teran snapped to attention._

_Quickly he scanned the area, looking to see if anyone was watching him. No one seemed to be taking any note of the lone male in a cloak. They were all busy, tending to the wounded and finalising whatever plans they had. Now would be the only chance that he would have, the only chance to take away the key to that awful future._

_He stood silently, palm pressed against the roughened stone of the pillar. 'Deep breaths, breathe!'_

_As inobtrusively as possible he walked over to the glowing stone arch that radiated with magic. A quick look over his shoulder; no one has yet taken a second glance in this direction. Only a moment passes..._

_He lets his satchel with all of his prized observations regarding the war drop from his side. He will have no need of it where he is going._

_Taking one last deep breath, he steps through the portal._

_'This is such a suicidal move.'_

**x-X-x**

There is a flurry of movements as Nils walks towards the portal. The younger dragon turns to give his sister one last smile and trips over something on the floor. Without losing his balance or composure, Nils turns and waves before entering the portal and sealing it from his side. The arch ceases to glow.

Matthew picks up the lone satchel from the front of the gate...

**x-X-x**

_The company return to their own lands, determined to rebuild their lives and for the most part, successful. A few fade into obscurity, while others are hailed throughout the land._

_As for the tactician? He was never seen those lands again. Some rumored that he had been spirited away by remnants of the Fang, others that he had been taken by the powers that be. The war that he foresaw did not come to pass; though another kindled in the offing, it would be several years before the plots of men and dragons again came to blows._

_An uneasy peace settles on the lands of Elibe..._

**x+X+X+x**

**AN:** The portal... is too, too convenient an excuse to pass up. Look for another drabble/oneshot coming out for this type of explanation for the tactician's disappearance. Kudos to those who understand the title reference.

_BTW - if anything catches your fancy and spurs those creative juices... WRITE! Fire Emblem can use all the new tales that it can get. Of course, it had better be well written. The fandom deserves no less than our best effort (though the same could be said of fan- or any writing - as a whole...). Yes, I am shameless plugging for new stories to read._

And yes, the 'summary' is actually the plot prompt.


	8. Equivalent Exchange: Nils, Tactician

_**"Equivalent Exchange"**_

**Characters: **Nils, Tactician (Female)

_"He was giving up something precious and returning to his own world. There was no reason why he should make that journey alone."_

**x-X-x**

_He should be excited; he was going home now!_

Nils glanced over at where he had parted from his sister. Today was not at all what he had envisioned in the past. For so long he had looked forward to this, dreaming that he would walk through the portal hand in hand with Ninian, just as they had passed most of their forced sojourn in this world. Even when the signs had come indicating that her heart had changed, he'd secretly hoped that his dream would still come to pass.

It was not to be, however. Now she was wrapped in the loving embrace of her last devotion. Nils understood instinctively that there would never be time for another. When he had spoken to Ninian of such things, she had only nodded sadly. She had already known of such things before she had made her choice.

A flash of insight. _'I'll never get to meet my nephew.'_

Tears had already been shed moments before in the privacy of his sister's embrace. He could smile now, knowing that at least she was happy.

When a hand gently grasped his, Nils nearly jumped in surprise. No one-- save Ninian-- had ever bothered to touch him. He turned to face the person keeping stride with him and could not see the face because of the cowl that hid it from view.

"Elice."

She shifted to regard him quizzically, the cowl shifting with the motion to show him her eyes. "Nils?"

He stops in his forward momentum and she halts beside him. She is taller and he has to look up to see her face. "Why are you holding on to me? I must return home and seal the portal before anyone else falls prey to mere curiosity."

Elice blinks twice before answering him with simple logic. "I'm coming with you."

Nils is tempted to laugh - one of the hated humans setting foot in a realm of dragons? But he settles for shaking his head, though he still holds her hand. Perhaps he is starved for such things in the little amount of time since he lost his sister. "A foolish notion, at best. What good would come of your passing into my world?"

Elice takes a deep breath and tries to laugh. It comes out strained, however, and her hand tightens on his own. "I've watched you, Nils. You may have come into this world from _'mere curiosity' _as you put it, and been constrained to stay here through magical coercion, but you _never _wanted to leave without your sister." She is shaking now; it is subtle enough that he can feel it, even though it doesn't show through the cloak that she always wears. "You're leaving behind something precious to you and I know that I'm nothing compared to Ninian... but I thought that you might like to have something to take back with you in exchange."

He ponders her words for several moments, turning them this way and that to consider what the choices might entail. He is tempted to just take her up on the offer, to just pretend to be the child that he appears in this human guise and selfishly take the gift to use until she perishes. But he is not a child and no matter how much he might desire such a thing, he will not choose it recklessly.

"They will eat you if you come with me."

She is nodding now, the hood dipping as she does so. "I know."

Nils regards her solemnly. "They won't like you at all, even if they decide not to kill you."

She is shaking visibly now. _"I know." _Her voice is a whisper, barely reaching even his ears as he stands beside her.

"I'll be alright on my own."

Elice shakes her head violently and reaches up to pull down her cowl. Raven locks spill out of the confines of the material and grey eyes meet his own. "You shouldn't have to sacrifice everything to keep us happy."

_She still hasn't let go of his hand._

Nils sighs and nods slightly. He can hear the faint sigh of relief that his new partner releases as they turn back towards the portal. She is still trembling as they near the gate and pause a second time in front of their destination.

"Are you afraid?"

She smiles. "Terrified."

Nils squeezes her hand and allows himself to smile. "Don't be - I'll protect you."

_"I know you will."_

Hand in hand they walk through the gateway, disappearing into tiny motes of light before the structure goes dark.

**x-X-x**

**AN:** _Whee, another journey into fascinating realm that is fire emblem 7. Anyone inspired now? Not? Ah well...!_

This version is _Alternate Universe_. Not that Nils doesn't deserve _something_ for coming across to Elibe and surviving to go back home! It's just that he usually gets the booby prize - go home, lock the door, get all the punishment when your people find out what you did. He only gets to go home with Ninian if Eliwood doesn't pick her up as his girl in-game. No matter which way you slice it, the kid gets a raw deal. So here he gets a little bit of love, even if it is a little bit contrived. ^^

_On a side note - to the reviewer who asked me about Armads... I have no clue. I've not played FE6 and know very little about it other than by a few random facts that I've picked up here and there, mostly common knowledge. My base for writing comes from FE7 and FE8, both of which I've completed several times and have handy for quick playthroughs if necessary. Armads might indeed be back on the island in 6, but I'd have to wonder why that would be. It maketh little sense to me, unless the powers that be try to keep cursed weapons sealed._

[Thanks go to Mark of the Asphodel for catching a mistake made by me. Alas, I'll have to find somewhere else to use that line!]


	9. Vanishing Point: ?, Tactician

_**"Vanishing Point"**_

**u-u**

_"Because all epic weapons end up here until they are required for service."_

**Prompt - **_The tactician ends up sealed away by whatever laws of magic reacquire legendary magic weapons._

**n-n**

It hadn't happened suddenly. If it had, then things would have been more understandable. One expects such things with magic, after all. It's all flash and swish and bang - instantaneous results galore. Except that in this case, it isn't.

Because it would look rather strange if the world kept taking the weapons away right after they'd been given to the heroes. So it takes time for such things, usually after the death of said heroes. Then the magic would take hold and spirit the weapon back to reside under seal until the next time that it was called for.

Usually these weapons were magical in nature themselves, though forged of stone or wood or steel.

But this was a different kind of weapon. This one was a mind; a mind that was possessed by a being of flesh and spirit. It would be difficult to relegate to storage and even more difficult to seal away. But the world tends to be adamant about such things, and it has all the time necessary to do so.

So when the tactician faded away one day, all the heroes shrugged and said that they'd expected another journey. And when years passed and the memories faded, none of them would expect that magic had had any hand in their failure to recall. After all, wasn't it natural to forget certain things as you age?

Now a statue stands among the other relics of the ages, kept against the world's need. It is a weapon most potent and legendary even among their children's children.

The world is satisfied with its choice.

_One would almost believe that it looks forward to lending out such toys to its heroes._

**c=oc=o**

**an - **_lame_. You all can blame _a random reviewer _for this piece. It feels like it should be better, but dear lord... I can't figure out how. Maybe cause I'm tired and my hand is telling me that typing = pain. Gah. I still should do better.

:P - not any random reviewer. I think the name was Random Guy or some such. Anyway, that person's fault.


	10. Wisp and Stone: Kent, Florina

**"Wisp and Stone"**

_**Kent/Florina - friendship/romance prompts**_

_"He'd promised Lyn that he would take special care of her."_

~X~

She was such a tiny wisp of a thing, timid in the main and terrified of anything masculine. When he'd first seen her hiding behind Lyn, he'd been astounded that there was someone who wasn't particularly a child who could manage the feat. She'd cringed away from both Wil and Sain when they spoke to her, though he couldn't blame her for either.

Wil was an archer and Sain...? Well Sain was a terror unto himself, after all.

There had been a tussle with the bandits that the tiny girl had offended with her landing skills and afterwards Lyndis had approached him away from the rest of the group. _"Florina is terrified of men. She'll need special attention - can I count on you to take care of her?"_

Kent had felt strangely honored by the simple request. His lady was placing her faith in him already, despite not having known him for very long. He'd nodded solemnly and caught a hint of the quick smile that she seemed prone to use. "Of course, milady. You can count on me."

_"I knew I could."_

He wondered sometimes if she'd known then what her request would entail.

~X~

Perhaps she had, perhaps not. When the civil unrest was finally dealt with, the usurper dead, and Lyndis was crying in her grandfather's arms, Kent had carried out the wishes of his lady. He spoke with those who commissioned the service of all of Caelin's vassals and arranged for Florina to be taken in to service. The tiny pegasus knight was overjoyed when he brought her the news, wringing her hands and smiling tremulously.

She managed to squeak out a _'thank you'_, before running off to find Lyndis and share the news.

Kent had tried to choke out the rest of his tidings before she left but ended up smiling instead. He could find her later and give her the rest of it.

He had ensured that he would be her mentor, after all. As a new recruit to the castle's guard, she was not expected to know the in's and out's of everyday life around the keep. It would be his duty to instruct her and see that she learned the lay of the land. There would be other training as well to ensure that she remained fit for active duty should Caelin ever require the need for her skills. He would be required to help her with that as well.

If she was uncomfortable with his presence, perhaps Lyndis would prove a more suitable partner in the beginning. Kent held no illusions that Lyn would be allowed anywhere near the freedom that she had enjoyed upon the plains, but those of the noble persuasion would probably leave the heir apparent alone until things were rebuilt.

And surely some of the maids would be available to help her learn the basic layouts of the place. Perhaps Sain would be able to steer him correctly in that regard.

Of course, he'd planned all this out without considering that Sain might resent him for taking Florina under his wing.

This is why he found himself saddled with teaching Wil as well. Taking care of two new recruits wouldn't have fazed him, had he not had the sudden thrusting of responsibility in the form of a promotion: Knight Commander. Suddenly the days that had seemed long enough as a common knight could no longer hold the endless list of duties and decisions that were expected of him.

Sain was quick to offer his aid with Florina, of course. Kent stared at his longtime friend for the space of a moment, uncomprehending. "You want to help me with _Florina?_"

A vigorous nod and a huge grin was his only reply, a first for his voluble companion. Kent frowned. "Why not offer to train Wil or to take care of some of the other minor details that I'm now swamped with?"

"Ah, but none of those that you mention involve dealing with a pretty maiden!" Sain fairly glowed. "I would not have the beauteous Florina wither under your ungentle care."

"So I should allow her to suffer under your flights of whimsy instead?" Shaking his head, Kent gave his companion a pointed glare. "If you don't wish to help, then find someone else to bother. I have too many things to accomplish to bandy words with you."

Sain danced away, his good humor unabated. "As you wish my boon companion! I shall avail myself of our Lady's most soothing presence and wash away the wounds your words have caused me!" His laughter faded along with his footsteps along the stone corridors of the keep.

"Sain... were it merely a burden that I had taken on myself, I could see my way to letting you indulge yourself. But this was a request from my lady and I'll not break faith." Kent sighed, turning his attention back to the pile of requisitions that he was expected to approve.

So absorbed in his work, Kent failed to notice anyone else approaching. The quiet knock on the open door caused him to jump in surprise, his quill jerking over the scrap of paper and nearly ruining his signature. Kent looked up to find an equally startled Florina staring back at him.

"I'm sorry, Sir Kent!" The young woman was shaking slightly. "I didn't mean to interrupt you..."

The normally staid cavalier waved away her protest with the hand that held his quill. He set the writing instrument down hastily when ink spots began to appear on his desk. "You have nothing to apologize for, Florina. If anything, it is I who should apologize to you- you must be here for our sparring session." Kent dropped his head into his hands and sighed. "I don't know why I even bother with this- I was never good enough to be the Knight Commander. They should have given it to Sain or to Sir Wallace. Either one of them would have done better in at least a portion of the job. And I?"

"I cannot even make my way through the requisitions in time to attend to my men. What kind of commander am I?"

With his head buried in his hands, Kent could not see what the tiny pegasus knight was thinking. He hadn't heard any retreating footsteps, which would imply that she still stood in his doorway watching him make a fool of himself. But what did that matter? He didn't have the strength to carry everything on his shoulders as Wallace could, or the glib tongue to charm his audience that Sain possessed.

"Um, Sir Kent?"

He lifted his head when Florina spoke and could see her fidgeting just inside the doorway. It was clear that she wanted to fly away elsewhere, but for some reason that eluded his grasp, she was still here.

"You shouldn't belittle yourself like this, Sir Kent. Lady Lyndis wouldn't like it! She says you do such a good job taking care of the castle and the men and making sure that she doesn't get overwhelmed by all the lessons that she has to take these days." Florina stopped to draw in a breath before continuing, and Kent noted a flush coming to her pale cheeks. "You are very kind to everyone here and you try your best to make sure that Wil and I are doing fine in our training. Even Sain says that you do too much and try too hard to do everything yourself. He says that you will wear yourself out and die in ten years instead of living for fifty."

Seeming to realize that she'd spoken out loud and berated her superior, Florina averted her eyes and began pushing her pointer fingers together nervously. "Um, so please don't quit?"

Kent blinked twice, slightly disturbed. Did they think that he would quit? Had he appeared that despairing? Suddenly realizing that Florina was waiting for his reply, he slowly pushed back his chair and stood. "Please don't worry about me, Florina." He kept his voice gentle, knowing how nervous the young woman must be. "I promise that I won't quit. I only think that there must have been a better choice for the Knight Commander. Until they take the position away, I will do my best to fulfill my duties."

Florina shifted nervously again but managed to look back at him. Kent waited patiently, knowing from experience that there was something else that she wished to say. It took her a moment to finally get around to it.

"Please let us help you."

Since he wasn't on the battlefield, Kent allowed himself the pleasant distraction of shock. "I beg your pardon?"

Florina hesitated. "Sain said that we could help you with your work and make things easier for you. Wil is going to train Lady Lyndis in archery and Sain will help out with Wil with his court etiquette. Lady Lyn said that I could sit in with her during her lessons to make sure that she doesn't have to work too hard and I can help you with your paperwork, if you want."

He heard her voice trail off on the last portion of her plea.

"I see." Kent thought about it for a moment. The plan that Florina had outlined for him smacked of simplicity and the conniving of several of his friends, but was that such a bad thing? Privately he could admit that he had been overworking himself, taxing his best efforts to swim the stream alone. Taking a deep breath, he let it out slowly. "You show great wisdom, Florina. I suppose that I will have to sit down with you and your co-conspirators and determine how much help you all can be. Will that suffice?"

He was gratified to see the smile that blossomed upon the pegasus knight's face. "Now let's attend to your training- after all, you've been getting much better with your swordplay lately and I wouldn't want you to lose your skill because your instructor forgets the time now, would I?"

~X~

**AN:** _Somewhat corny ending. Ah well, I wanted to try out some Florina and Kent interactions. Let me know how you all saw it._

_(Based off the fact that Kent gets endings with two of the three pegasus sisters. So what are his interactions with Florina like?)_


	11. Ugly Old Men: Athos, Nergal

**Ugly Old Men**

_"In one age they had been heroes. Now they set forth to play the villains."_

**~o~**

_It had been an age of heroes. One that inevitably led to an age of peace. The dragons had vanished from Elibe, banished by the humans who had grown greedy and distrustful, but who had also obtained enough enlightenment to actually threaten the creatures. The dragons did not go willingly nor without a fight, but in the end they left._

_The portal was sealed after them._

_With fell deeds accomplished, the band of heroes took their followers and founded nations across the continent. Most of them died with honor in their own houses, but a few survived the age, growing in power and arrogance..._

**~o~**

_"It is said that the Archsage Athos vanished into the desert sands..."_

"So what's on the agenda for today, Athos; chess, tidily winks?"

The old man fretted with his beard and considered his companion's words. "No, we've played those for the last few months, right after we got bored with old maid and tic-tac-toe."

"Well then, how about horse shoes?"

"No that was six months ago and you swore that you'd never throw them again when that dragon dude beat us a hundred times in a row." Athos frowned at the recollection. "That's when we decided to keep our games to ourselves unless we could guarantee that we would be the winners."

The dark mage frowned and thought harder. "Strip poker?"

"We agreed not to bring that one up again after the last debacle. Besides, it isn't any fun without some good looking dames to divest."

"Right." Nergal brightened. "Then how about tidily winks?"

Athos snorted. "You already brought that one up; your mind must be going, old man."

"Well at least my magic still lets me get it up, unlike _someone_ I could mention."

"Yes and the only thing that you can stick it in is that magical womanequin that you created." The archsage glared across the table at his friend. "At least my magic would allow me my choice of women if I were actually interested in such things these days."

"Hell, if you could get it up, I'd let you borrow the womanequin for a spin." Nergal groused, clearly not amused by the turn that their conversation had taken. "Peace is boring. Too bad all the rest of those idiots went off and died on us."

Athos sighed "Yeah. Especially Elimine. Now there was a looker. It's too bad that we never quite managed to get her between the sheets."

"Yeah." The two magicians spent a few moments recalling the past before Nergal straightened up in his chair. "You know what we need? We need a big bad EVIL to come along so we can fight it. That would take care of our boredom!"

"Where are we going to find an EVIL? You know that we already kicked most of the dragons out of Elibe. They won't be looking forward to facing us again." Athos turned the idea around in his head for a while. "Unless we become the _evil_, then we could fight some heroes."

Nergal snorted. "We'd just butcher them with our spells before they could figure out what end of the sword to hold onto. No, if we're going to do this, one of us gets to be evil and one of us has to help the idiot heroes. That will make a fine game between us."

Eyeing his friend shrewdly, Athos asked the obvious question. "So who gets to be the great menace?"

"I do." Nergal grinned evilly. "I've always wanted to be an evil overlord. Besides, I use the dark arts, so it fits."

"Alright. Then make sure that you leave your key to the magical weapons storage." Athos matched Nergal's grin with one of his own. "I'll make sure that the very best men get a hold of some wonderful magical weapons to confront your menace."

"Muwahahahahah! Brilliant!" Nergal's laughter echoed in the tiny room. "I'll be looking forward to seeing what happens when they finally find out that their ultimate weapons aren't so benign as they might imagine. It's too bad that I can't pull of the whole 'benevolent tutor' facade, or I'd consider taking that role instead."

"So, my very old friend," Athos held out his hand. "Shall we?"

**~o~**

**AN:** _Rated for crude humor by old mages._

_This is my humorous take on the 'less than benign' Athos. After all, both he and Nergal were involved with the village of dragons and humans in the desert. Nergal just up and left to start his own crazy stint in the world, but what did Athos do? And yes, this is a little bit of conspiracy theory to it as well._

_As for Saint Elimine... Female? Probably, at least from my standpoint. No other names on the list of ancient heroes even came close to looking female. Athos and Nergal needed something good looking to gossip about. -_-'_

_And if anyone else has tales of Athos/Nergal conspiracy, or less than benign Athos, let me know. I'd be interested to see another view on this._


	12. Uncommitted: Sain

_**"Uncommitted"**_

**~o~**

_"The first time that he found himself unable to commit, he was only slightly discomfited. But as time went by and each woman passed his wavering dedications, he began to fear that something was seriously wrong."_

**~o~**

"So you won't mind me going and telling Lady Lyndis that we're together?"

Sain blanched at the thought, considering the girl's words. _Never_ be able to flirt with his lady? Or the delicious little Florina and all of the other beauties about the camp? "Oh, um, well..."

Rebecca shook her head, trying bravely to hold back tears. "See? You say the same words to every woman in camp. They don't mean anything. You won't ever commit to a single girl and that's why I can't be your girl."

When she ran away from him, Sain had to swallow hard. He was still fumbling to find the answer that would bring her back into his arms, reassuring her that she was special and that there was nothing to fear from his flirtations with other women. The words died a painful death without reaching the young archer. Taking a deep breath and letting out a sigh, Sain decided to take a walk along to river to regain his composure.

Besides, things weren't that bad! Rebecca was only a child, after all; nothing serious was intended. She would understand his position after she'd grown up and courted half a dozen men herself. Besides, there were all the other beautiful flowers about to keep his attention.

No need to waste his precious time upon a blossom that hadn't fully bloomed.

**~o~**

_And so time passed..._

Many of the ladies that Sain encountered were gladdened by his presence and charm. A few despised him or fled from his overbearing approach, but the knight was content to take such things in stride. So a few flowers had thorns? That just made their perfume all the sweeter to be attained.

Eventually, most of the women opened up to him and put forth the option of coupling together. Of course, all they wanted in return was the distinction of being his _'one and only'_.

In each case, Sain found that he was unable to speak the words that would bind him thus. And in each case, a disappointed lady would walk away from him.

By the time that Fiora passed him by, Sain was becoming desperate. The field of flowers was rapidly becoming barren as other hands reached out and gave the words of devotion that bound them to a single beauty for life. And Sain's habits were becoming well known; whenever a new female joined, she would be sequestered and warned about the resident playboy by the rest of the female populace.

Sain was not a happy camper; imagine the gall of these women, impinging on his game like this!

Unfortunately, there was very little that he could do about it and almost no one that would lend an ear to his complaints. Kent listened with some sympathy, but his advice fell on deaf ears. _"If you wish for them to take you seriously, then pick one girl and stick with it. Perhaps if you change yourself, they may reconsider."_ Sain huffed away from that encounter imperiously. What did Kent take him for? It wasn't as though his friend were beating off the girls with a stick now.

Still the thought rankled; _change himself?_

Why, he'd sooner _drown _than give up the delight of appreciating the world of femininity!

Why couldn't they understand that the Verdant Lance was dedicated equally to all women? His love was certainly wide enough to encompass them all, so why should their hearts be so singularly shallow? Alas that not all could be as understanding as his mother! She and his father got along quite well, thank you very much! Some had even gone so far as to suggest that Sain was addicted to the pleasure of flirting! _Addiction _was something that could be attributed to those who ate Elum blossoms for the mild hallucinatory rush that the plant's poisons produced.

Sain could proudly state that he'd never had the experience. He did have scruples, after all.

Thus he had to resign himself to feeling rejected after he'd played his last hand amongst the company. Vaida looked down on him and laughed. _Laughed!_

"You're a butterfly, little man. Pretty to look at, but blown away by the first breeze that comes along." The creature in female form had not been sparing. "Now run along before I tire of you completely and split your wings."

Those words had been an awful blow to his heart. Not even the violent she-demon wanted anything to do with him. And after he'd taken a day and a half to compose the epic poem in honor of her deeds!

Ah well, at least the women working the inns and taverns had no predilections for commitment. Until the next time, Sain could find his comfort there.

Perhaps he could drag Kent along for the company. Heaven knows that the man's perpetual brooding couldn't be healty for him!

**~o~**

_"And thus ends the Tale of the Verdant Lance. He spent his days amongst many beauteous flowers, but found none that would take to him. Well practiced in the 'art of the lance', his dashing figure could be found anywhere that a woman of great beauty was announced. His exploits in chivalry and love traveled far and wide..."_

_"Like most rumors, they were mostly incorrect and highly exaggerated."_

_Finis._

**~o~**

**AN:** Quite a trip, eh? I needed something of a comic relief to offset the angst that I wrote recently. Thus Sain became my unwitting target, although the plot for this piece has been waiting patiently for roughly six months or so. Yep, I have way more story ideas than I can realistically write in any kind of a timely manner. It gets me in trouble at times.

[_Epic Fail_]

2. Anyone like the way Vaida tears Sain down? Here's hoping that it came close enough to her character that I don't get assassinated!

3. This is also partly in homage to Sain's ending, since he mostly doesn't get the girl(s). Rebecca starts things off, Fiora proves the point, and Vaida gets to finish the job.

4. Elum blossoms. Made that up off the top of my head.

_Ice cream, brownies, and reviews welcome._


	13. Rainbow Dreamer: Florina

**"Rainbow Dreams"**

Summary:_ "With just her and Huey, she felt content to just fly and watch all the colors of the sky pass beyond her."_

**~o~**

_Once upon a time they dreamed together..._

Three sisters dreaming, of pale wings cutting paths through rainbows that spanned between the clouds. Three little girls yearning for freedom from the world below.

_They never saw rainbows in Ilia, not like those that they dreamed..._

Rain fell less than frequently during the handful of summer days that their homeland saw each year. Farmers toiled to haul water to the crops more often than the clouds sated the thirst of the land. But that was the way that life had always been in the mountainous country.

The rainbows that Florina could recall came from the well loved books that her sisters shared with her. The illustrations were faded from having passed through many hands, the pages torn here and there, but she could still make out the glorious array of colors that proclaimed a rainbow, a promise of better times.

In the books, they only stared up at the sky in wonder - after all, no one could touch a rainbow.

_But if they had wings..._

Farina fell first. She found her wings, but another color caught her attention; she chased after a different legend - the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. She left the books and her homeland behind her to vanish into the sky.

Not long after, Fiora gave up the chase. She no longer had time to devote to the dreams of youth; responsibility sat heavily on her shoulders, dragging her down to the very earth that she sought to avoid. Florina watched her sister wilt from the pressure of reality, unable to take the time to enjoy the brief stints of freedom that she had.

_She was all alone now..._

Florina knew that she really wasn't _really _alone - Hector waited for her down below on the 'nice safe dirt' - but up in the sky, it was just her and Huey. The world receded into a myriad of colors as the sun passed through its cycles, tingeing the clouds to varying shades and hues. And when it happened to rain...

_Well, Florina had always dreamed of chasing the rainbow..._

**~o~**

_AN: Originally conceived to answer the eighth challenge at LJ's FE_Contest. The second entry won out, but this little work is full of enough fluffy goodness to earn a place here in "Life in a Box". Enjoy!_

_(Yes, I'm still working on the other forementioned tales. Yes, this is just a convenient filler between. Yes, I am fond of all my loyal readers and __**especially **__my loyal reviewers.)_


	14. Abide with Me: Eliwood, Isadora

**"Abide with Me"**

~o~

_"Abide: Await something: to wait for someone or something"_

~o~

It is not quite dark out when she finds him straying outside of the camp. He is alone; there is no sign of the young dancer that he strives to spend each moment near. Isadora wonders about this and notes that he still bears his sword in his belt, despite his listless wandering. She nods approvingly; whatever has caused this melancholy, at least it has not caused him to take leave of all his wits.

Lowen had intimated that their young master was in ill humor when he presented Eliwood's request for her presence and then went on into a detailed supposition regarding a lack of favored food. Isadora doubted that meals were high on the list of depressing topics in Eliwood's mind however, and left the squire to his ramblings while she left to answer the summons. Now that she had found him, it was clear that something was troubling him.

"Milord?"

"Just Eliwood." His reply is absent-minded, carelessly thrown out to her on the wings of indifference. He ceases his wandering however, and seats himself upon the ground. "I am not yet a lord - my father retains the title until we prove beyond the shadow of a doubt his demise. And I do not believe that he is dead."

He speaks strongly regarding his father, so it is not this that has required her ear this night. "Tell me, Dame Isadora, how fares my mother?"

Isadora feels a touch of guilt at his words. Despite the wishes of her lady liege and the words that released her to aid young Eliwood, both father and son entrusted Lady Eleanora's safety to her. As they have so often upon her journey, her thoughts return to the one woman that she has served faithfully in all things.

_'Please be safe, milady!'_

Still, she must answer as best she can to assuage any fears in that regard. "She was well when we parted, Milord Eliwood. Her only concern was with your wellbeing."

_'Isadora, take care of my son. See that he returns home safely.'_

Her thoughts are broken by a sigh. Eliwood slouches forward and wraps his arms around his knees, looking extremely awkward upon the ground. It feels intolerable to stand over him thus, so Isadora joins him, carefully laying her weapon within easy reach and settling herself as comfortably as she can despite the heavy armor she wears. When her young lord sighs again, she knows it is time to speak.

"What bothers you, milord? Have you fallen ill, perhaps?"

He ignores the question and Isadora presses on. "If you will not tell me of your troubles, will you not speak with Sir Marcus or the Lady Ninian?"

He laughs then and it sounds hollow in the night air. "You hit on part of the problem, even without knowing what it is."

"Is it the Lady Ninian?" Isadora ponders the situation. He would not be this distraught over Marcus, that much was certain. Besides, the aging soldier was quite well when she had seen him earlier scolding the younger knights at the campfire. Though perhaps that explained why Eliwood had turned to her during his troubles; Marcus meant well, but his methods and understanding were not always compatible with the young lord's personality. And love is a different realm altogether from the battlefield, which is where Sir Marcus shone.

Besides which, she _had_ been engaged to Harken before the ill fated expedition left. _Perhaps __**that **__was what leads to her position here._

"I had thought the two of you shared some understanding."

Eliwood sighs despondently and sits up straighter. His arms fall to his sides and he shakes his head slowly. "I try each day to understand. I speak with her constantly and purport myself with the utmost civility and compassion; yet when evening comes, she is never in my company. When I attempt to search her out... it almost seems that she avoids me. I begin to feel that someone else holds her attentions."

With the light fading, Isadora turns her attention back to their surroundings. Beside her, Eliwood is now an indistinct shape in the darkness. The moon has not yet risen to give its friendly half-light to the world and the stars lay mostly concealed by a thin layer of cloud, though a few bright spots peek through the dark cover. "Did you wish for me to find out who she visits?"

"No!" Eliwood is quick to exclaim, though his corresponding tone becomes less explosive and more the uncertain youth. "No. I... if I had wanted to know that, I could have found it out easily enough; the army is not that large and Matthew could have told me what I wanted to know for a price. Perhaps Ninian would tell me herself, if I asked. But though I yearn to put a face to the phantom that haunts this dream of mine, I cannot bear to know what manner of man steals the world from me."

"And it is only yet a dream, one that may never come to pass. Children can dream and live for the dreaming; I am no longer a child and must follow the hard path that I have started, no matter the dreams that must lie in the dust along the way. No, Dame Isadora," Eliwood paused to heave a heavy sigh, "I did not ask your presence to solve this matter for me. Whatever ill it may betide my fortunes, I see that it brightens Ninian's days and will not stand in any way astride the path that leads her onward to happiness."

"My wish - such as it was - was to not be alone with my thoughts in this time. And there were none that I felt that I might unburden them to; Hector might laugh, Marcus would tell me to steady myself, and I do not yet know any of the rest of the company well enough to tell beforehand whether my complaints would sow discord amongst the army. It would be most unthankful of me, especially when no few of them aid me on my own personal quest to find my father."

"And I?" Isadora prompts him. She admits a curiosity to see how he sees her.

"My mother once told me that you were her closest confidante, someone that she trusted in all things and that wisdom was something that you both collected and dispensed. And perhaps more importantly, you have loved another." She hears him shifting his position in the dark, trying for a more comfortable seat.

"Ah." For a while she sits silently, pondering. When she does speak again, it is with some hesitancy. "A wise man once told me that the first love burns the fiercest, pains the deepest and dies the fastest. He also said that even after that first love dies, there will be other, stronger loves that will come along to replace it. Perhaps it is because your heart has learned to temper its passion into strength and endurance..." Her voice trails off; she does not know what else to say.

She has yet to finish contending with her own grief and it leaves her hesitant at heart. How can she counsel her young lord when she finds herself lacking? And yet he has no other that he chooses to turn to.

There are no more words, but perhaps presence suffices.

~o~

**AN:** _As promised, Eliwood/Isadora interaction. _

_Minor edits. Thanks Mark!_


End file.
